The Eggling Experiment

I know that this cute little product has made the rounds in the design and gardening world so I know I’m probably not showing you anything new. I have been resisting the charm of the Eggling since I first heard of them because I generally do not support this kind of product no matter how

Falling in Love with Grassland

I am finally accepting the fact that winter is coming and I had better enjoy fall (despite all of this horrible rain) while it lasts. One of the gifts gardening has given me is the ability to look at the landscape and plant life around me with new eyes. I started to look with a

Grinding Herbs

Guest post by Amy Urquhart Today I got around to grinding up my dried herbs. Why? Because I found a great deal on a coffee bean grinder at Loblaws…$9.99! It worked really well. Each weekend lately I’ve been harvesting from the garden whatever edibles I can. I managed to bring in almost all of the

Flowering Stevia

Unbelievable! My stevia plant is flowering! I brought my large stevia plant indoors about a month ago. We have had a very cold, wet Fall in Toronto which does not bode well with the delicate nature of stevia. I have learned over the years that stevia is easy-to-grow but particular. Hailing from a warm Latin

My Minty Centrepieces

Guest post by Amy Urquhart I got married last month and I sure as sugar wasn’t going to incorporate the usual, boring, over-the-top, expensive floral centrepieces I saw in most wedding magazines into our reception! Instead, I thought I’d buy scented geraniums. However, when I got to Richter’s to buy them the week of the

Growing More-erer Food

Because I am afflicted with the disease commonly known as “Can’t-Walk-Past-Plants, Most-Especially-Plants-on-Sale”-itis and because an entire kitchen garden that was non-existent a few days ago doesn’t seem to be enough today; I done went and bought me some pathetic-looking transplants. But wait, they were only fifty cents! Except the tuberous begonia — that was two

The Herb Fair is Coming, The Herb Fair is Coming

My favourite local plant-related event is back! What: Ontario Herbalist Society Annual Herb Fair Where: Harbourfront Centre, Toronto When: Sunday June 4, 2006. 11am-5:30pm If you’d like to meet for plant shopping, exchanging (bring your extra transplants and seeds), fellow herb loving geekery, and more myself and other YGGers will be waiting in front of

They Were Right

Guest post by Amy Urquhart “Invasive” does, in fact mean, well, “invasive”. I’m always curious when I buy a new plant labelled as invasive, just how invasive can it be, really? That one little starter plant can’t really get to be that big in one season, can it? Besides the usual mints, balms and the

There’s Some Livin’ Going On

We’ve been experiencing unseasonably warm temperatures here in Toronto which have pushed me to get out and do some early-season garden work. I can’t recall being this eager to get gardening but I suspect that I am always this excited, it’s just the lapse of time between fall and spring that has me convinced my

Canada Blooms: Herbs & Edibles

I gave a workshop/demonstration today at Canada Blooms on growing herbs and other edibles in a strawberry pot but I ran out of handouts. I wasn’t expecting such a great turnout! Thanks to everyone who came. As promised I have posted a printable version of the handout here for those who missed out. Thanks to

Abundant Basil

Guest post by Eleanor Athens There are the tomatoes, of course; perfectly ripe, full and heavy with juice. Ivory cloves of garlic (I love garlic) and smooth, nutty gold-green olive oil. But it isn’t until I tear the leaves that it all comes together. The perfume of summer, notes of anise and clove… mouth-watering basil.

Rooftop Garden: July 1

Things are coming along swell on the rooftop garden. In fact, this is turning out to be my best year ever! The weather has been incredibly hot and dry, and as a result I have been out there religiously watering containers, sometimes as much as twice per day. But the combination of heat and consistent